by Luna Noir
Copyright 2015 Luna Noir
All rights reserved.
Beauty and the Bear
Book design by Luna Noir
Cover Image Copyright 2015 CanStockPhotos
Warning: This book contains graphic depictions of consenting adults engaging in explicit sexual activities, and is only intended for mature readers over the age of 18.
Her first day.
Bella felt a thrill of excitement course through her body as she smoothed down her dress. Eyeing herself critically in the mirror, she hoped she would impress her new employer.
A petite young brunette looked back at her with an expression more calm and self-assured than Bella felt. She had tucked her heavy dark hair back into a barrette, but a few curls had escaped to frame her heart-shaped face. Her makeup was even, and her clothing was appropriate, although – well, with a figure that curved like hers, sometimes even the most drab clothes seemed inappropriate.
She bit her lip. Her pert 34C breasts strained against the buttons of her dress and her hips looked a little too inviting, but it was too late to change now. She hoped her employer would approve.
Her new employer was a mysterious one. Even though Bella and her father had only moved to this sleepy town a few years before, she was already well acquainted with the strange story of Baron von Ursus. The late Baron, her new employer’s father, had been celebrated in town as a great philanthropist. His charity was well-known and no few theaters and schools in the nearby countryside bore his name in thanks for a large contribution. He had been lauded until the day he died.
His son, however, was strangely absent from the public's gaze even before the old Baron died. Young Arthur had only made a few appearances in town while his father was alive, and not at all since. Occasionally folks went to his castle to serve or sell goods, but they were always very close-lipped about what they found there. Over time, it had become something of a local hobby to speculate about the living legend of the von Ursus castle.
As soon as Bella had accepted the job as the Baron’s new housekeeper, she’d found herself in the middle of many conversations that died suddenly as the other participants gave each other knowing looks and shook their heads. When pressed, they would back away and refuse to say more. It was concerning, but Bella needed the money for her father’s care. And she had worked for difficult employers before, she reminded herself as she headed out. How bad could the Baron be?
~
The castle rose above her, high stone walls nearly seeming to scrape the sky even as they covered the countryside. She had known it was a castle, but having seen it in the distance did not to justice to the sheer size of it. Bella, used to the countryside, was simply overwhelmed.
She had worked for difficult employers before, she had reminded herself, but she had never worked for a baron.
Taking a deep breath, Bella crossed the small ornamental bridge before the gate and then knocked at the towering oaken doors.
The knock sounded smaller than the doors, and she feared for a moment that no one would come. But she had been expected, after all, and after only a moment, the great doors swung open.
She might have expected it would take several strong men to open such doors, but when they swung free, only one man stood there. By his expensive suit and carefully arranged hair, she knew he must be her new employer. Bella was about to curtsy, ready to take charge of the situation, when he met her gaze.
And then she nearly dropped her papers in shock.
The Baron was handsome. No, not merely handsome – he was beautiful in the classical sense, with a strong jaw and a large, soulful mouth. His dark eyes were distracting in their depths, and his hair, kept fashionably long, just brushed the tops of his ears in brown waves. And his suit was so well-cut it left little to the imagination in terms of how well he was muscled.
She drew in a deep breath, trying to control the sudden fluttering in her belly and the warmth between her legs. Weren’t rich handsome men all supposed to be playboys or partiers? Why would a man so young and handsome keep himself locked away from the world?
Something in his gaze seemed to hint at a deep reservoir of pain and control that Bella found herself longing to explore, but as soon as she saw the flicker there it was gone, replaced by a sense of reservation.
“Ms. Peters, I presume?”
The cool tone of his voice shocked her back to propriety. He did not sound at all as though he was pleased to meet her, or even to see her, though he was clearly the one who had need of her services.
“Yes, my Lord.” Bella curtseyed, careful to keep her eyes lowered so she didn’t embarrass herself by staring. “I am here to fill the position of housekeeper, as requested.”
“Well.” He gave her a once-over that was clinical and cold. “You’ll do, I suppose. Start with the great hall.”
Bella felt a flush of indignation starting. “Sir, my references if you please. And there is the matter of my wages.”
He took the papers from her with a crooked smile. It was the first human expression she had truly seen on him, and Bella found herself strangely drawn to it, even with how rude he had just been. “You wish to negotiate?”
“I just want to make sure the rate I offered is accepted. You weren’t clear in your letter, and I have my father’s care to keep in mind.” She tried to keep her chin firm as she met his gaze. Why did he have to be so handsome?
The crooked smile vanished as he studied her once more. “It is acceptable. Are you content?”
Bella tried to keep a sarcastic tone from her voice as she curtsied once more. “My lord, I am yours.”
“Good.” The harsh tone sounded out of place in his beautiful mouth, but the Baron cast the words over his shoulder as he pivoted and left, almost as though he was fleeing the situation entirely.
Bella stared after him, unsure of what she had gotten herself into.
But the listing had not lied. There was plenty to be done in this great castle, and whatever she may have thought of her employer, he had done a reasonable job of keeping things tidy despite the lack of a regular housekeeper for what she gathered was some years since his father had died. It was true Bella had to clean away cobwebs, and there was rather more dust than one would like to see, but the castle held no traces of having held a bachelor in the prime of his virility roaming about, getting into trouble.
As she cleaned, she couldn’t help but think of her employer once more. The Baron had been just as terse as she had expected for a shut-in, but there was something more about him, something that drew her to him. It wasn’t his looks, though they were strong and handsome. Something about his soul called out to her.
She shook her head, trying to clear it of such silly thoughts. She was here to clean his castle, no more and no less. It would do no one good if she got distracted mooning about him while she did so.
Still… it was easy to imagine those muscles doing more than flex beneath an expensive suit. Maybe flexing beneath her, in bed… or on top of her… or against the wall…
Stop it! Bella ordered herself, blushing even though no one could hear her thoughts. It was hardly her place to be thinking such things, much less to be mooning on her first day at work.
She bent to scrubbing the floor with a will, grateful that no one was there to see the pink heat of her blushes as she tried to keep her damnably handsome employer from her mind.
~
It took Bella a long time after she finished her first day’s work to actually find her employer. The sun was already beginning to slip behind th
e hills, coloring them a brilliant orange, by the time she found the Baron in his study.
“My lord,” she curtseyed, thinking it couldn’t hurt, “my day’s work is done. With your permission, I’ll take my leave and return tomorrow.”
He stood so swiftly she was taken aback. For some reason she had expected that he would ignore her announcement, but now he was before her, his face coloring in anger and some other, unnameable emotion.
“Return?”
“Oh.” Bella fumbled, feeling a flush of embarrassment. “If my work hasn’t pleased you, of course – ”
“No.” The Baron cut her off with a single, decisive gesture. “Your service was satisfactory, Ms. Peters. I meant that you can’t leave.”
Bella gaped. “Sir?”
The Baron turned away from her and stared out the window at the setting sun. It illuminated his face with an orange glow, filling it with fire and shadow and coloring the strange look in his eyes. “While you are in my employ, you must stay here. It isn’t safe that you leave this castle so late at night.”
“But sir…” Bella hesitated. “My father needs care.”
He cut her off once more. “Am I not paying you so that your father can receive care? I ask very little from those in my employ, Ms. Peters. This is my condition.”
Bella bit her lip. “Yes, my lord. I will be happy to stay the night. But I must make arrangements for my father tomorrow.”
“Good.” The Baron brooded, his gaze far off in the distance. “And Ms. Peters?”
“Bella, my lord. Please.” She tried a smile, but he did not look her way.
“Bella.” He said the name slowly, as though tasting it. “Do not leave your room at night. Strange things have happened in these halls, and it is my duty as your employer to keep you safe.”
A thrill of foreboding passed through Bella, making her knees weak and strangely bringing forth the inappropriate thoughts she had had about the Baron previously to the fore. “Yes, my lord,” she stammered, trying to keep the image of him shirtless from her mind. She was sure her face was red once more. “I will do as you ask.”
“Good,” he said again, never looking her way. “You may go. You will find rooms at the end of the hall have been made up for you. If you have any problems, you may let me know.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“And Bella?”
She paused, in the middle of letting herself out.
“Yes, my lord?”
The Baron turned back to her finally, a hard look in his dark eyes. “Your problems can wait until the morning. Don’t disturb me before then.”
She swallowed against the threat in his voice. “Yes, my lord. I understand.”
~
That night, as Bella lay awake wondering what she had gotten herself into, she heard strange noises long into the deep twilight hours. Several times, it sounded as though heavy footfalls were echoing through the halls. Each time she sat up, shivering, and stared at her door in a panic.
But the knob never turned. Once she could have sworn she heard heavy breathing, but the Baron’s promise seemed true: as long as she remained in her quarters, she would be safe from whatever strange beast roamed the castle halls.
But it was impossible to sleep. And more than once, as Bella lay awake, she heard a long and mournful cry, as though her own sorrow and fear were shared by something else in the night.
~
“You're being safe?”
Bella sighed and answered the question for the fifth time. “Yes, Dad. I can handle the job. And the salary is good for us.”
“All right.” Her father's voice was querulous. “But you're being careful?”
Bella ignored the question and continued packing up her father's clothes. She hoped he wouldn't need to stay at the assisted living home long, only a few weeks until she could get her employment situation settled. The Baron had been harsh, but she didn't think he would be unreasonable. Something in his eyes had given her the feeling there was a gentle side to him. She only hoped it wasn't buried too deeply.
“Bella.”
She raised her head at the sharp tone in her father's voice. “What? I'm sorry, Dad.”
“You're a million miles away. I was talking.” He gave her a long look. His blue eyes, though faded, as always saw too much. “The Baron von Ursus is supposed to be handsome.”
Bella blushed. “Dad!”
“I'm just saying.” Her father gave her another one of his looks. “Rich men are just like other men, Bella. They only have one thing on their minds, and nothing to stop them from taking it.”
“Dad,” Bella said, exasperated. “The Baron has been a gentleman. He isn't going to try anything.”
Her father gave a disbelieving noise, but he returned to helping her with packing.
It took much longer for Bella to move on from the conversation. Rich men might be just like other men, but she couldn't shake the feeling that the Baron was different.
Nor could she shake the memory of his hair falling over his eyes.
~
It was hard to keep her mind to scrubbing and dusting after all she had seen and heard. Bella had always thought of herself as a steady person any employer could count on, but even her scarce interactions with the Baron had set her curiosity afire and her heart to racing. Who was this mysterious man? Why did he want to keep her here? What did he mean that it wasn't safe - and what were those frightening noises she had heard the night before?
Her visit with her father had done nothing to settle her nerves. It took all Bella had to complete her day's work on time without ever doing more than glancing up out of the corners of her eyes to make sure no one - man or beast - was watching her as she moved.
But nothing untoward happened. Still feeling the unease, Bella sought out the Baron, wanting to let him know she was finished... and something else.
He was working in his study, where he had been hours ago as she came through cleaning. The man had hardly moved. Only an errant lock of hair had fallen out of place, making her feel the inappropriate desire to move to his side and brush it back.
"My lord?"
"Yes, Bella."
She blinked. She hadn't been expecting him to remember her name. It sounded sweet on his lips. "My lord, I've finished."
"Yes, Bella. Is that all?"
The question hung in the air, almost a challenge. Only now did he glance at her, his dark eyes flicking her way and sizing her up all at once, as though he had seen to the very depths of her soul and understood without words the question she so desired to ask.
Taking a deep breath, Bella asked it. "Sir... why is there a beast roaming these grounds?"
The Baron looked away, "You heard something last night?"
"I did." She hurried to add, "Only from my room, my lord. I stayed in ask you ordered."
"Good." The Baron sighed and lowered his pen to the paper once more, though he did not write. "A long time ago someone in my family did something foolish. The beast is a result of that. Don't let it trouble you."
"But sir..." Bella bit her lip. "It sounds so lonely."
He stared at her then in shock, his eyes wide and vulnerable. "What?" he asked, his voice harsh with surprise.
Almost again, Bella caught herself wanting to go to him. Whatever the truth of this beast was, it haunted the Baron. "My lord, I only meant..."
"Forget it." He passed a hand over his eyes, his expression returning to its normal stoic beauty. "Do you hear me, Bella? Forget it. Go to your room, if you have finished your labors, and stay there."
"Yes, sir," she whispered, and fled.
~
Her life fell into a strange sort of routine. And though Bella had promised herself she would soon ask again about returning to her apartment with her father, it somehow never seemed the right time to ask the Baron to change the terms of their agreement.
Most of the time, he was cold and brusque with her, but then there were moments he was almost kind. When he found her polishing a med
al of his father's with especial care, he said nothing, but there were flowers in Bella's room that night when she retired. It began to matter more to her than Bella liked to admit, finding little things she could do for him to please him.
Those were the good times. And then...
And then there were moments when he looked at her, and her whole world seemed to disappear except for his eyes.
She found herself daydreaming about him as she worked, not only as an employer she wanted to please, but as something more. Her father's warning rang in her mind, but Bella couldn't help herself.
The way he moved, his muscles rippling under his shirt... how his hair fell over his eyes... and the way his lips caressed her name.